Cruisers 42 GLS | Palm Beach 70 | North Pacific 49 Euro - 06/13/21

When it comes to yacht building, the product mirrors the person at the top of the organization. If he/she is focused on the company’s bottom line, that will be apparent in the build. If the CEO is more concerned with the façade and not the bones, that will be obvious in the build. Those brands may last a while, but eventually, they’re found out. We have lost count of how many brands have bitten the dust because bean-counters were running the show or the person at the top had the emphasis on the wrong syl-la-ble.

Going out of business is an occupational hazard in yacht building.

That brings us to Grand Banks/Palm Beach CEO Mark Richards. He is a veteran yachtsman, a perfectionist and he commands this company from the board room to the shop floor. That’s why in the first 9 months of this public company’s fiscal year ending in May 2021, net profit was up 42% and its order book had reached a 12-year high. When people are paying millions of dollars for a yacht, there is no substitute for quality. And making a profit means the company will stay in business. It’s virtually the only combination that works in the yacht-building business.

All of that brings us to the Palm Beach 70. Take a look and you’ll see what we mean. More...

The Neptunus 650 Flybridge carries a CE rating of A-Ocean that covers yachts designed for extended voyages through winds of more than Beaufort Force 8 (speeds over 40 knots) and wave heights of more than 13’ (3.96 m). She’s built with Kevlar on both sides of the hull and all the way across the running surface. This is some of the most extensive use of the material that we’ve seen. For a precise fit, the Corecell-foam-cored stringers are aligned with lasers. Additionally, the custom carbon-fiber hardtop helps keep weight down. More...

North Pacific’s 49 Euro Pilothouse is the first in the company’s new Euro series. The idea behind the new line is to take all the features that make a great long-range trawler and combine them with upscale appliances and materials plus a more open plan to give the yacht a more contemporary feel. Part of the Euro designation is moving the galley to the main deck just inside the salon door. Another indicator is the use of lightly colored Wenge and Ash woods. Photos courtesy of Jim Raycroft. More...